Throughout the years, there have been numerous musical moments, but very few have been able to stand out. When it comes to the 90s, there were legends and hits everywhere. From hip-hop to rock bands, the world was on fire, and nothing could stop it from dancing to the beats. Today, the legacy that remains is kept alive by the fans, and it is proof that certain important music moments from the 90s are too difficult to forget. Therefore, let us recall and narrow down some of the most musical moments from the 90s that shaped music history.
Michael Jackson Performed’ MoonWalk’
Even though Michael Jackson was already the King of Pop when he was making the world dance to his tunes, he did something bigger, something that the world had never seen before and would even make some fans unconscious. He performed ‘MoonWalk’ for the very first time, and it literally caught everyone off guard.
They could understand what Michael just did. Michael performed ‘Moonwalk’ for a mere two seconds on ‘Billie Jean,’ and it went onto becoming an iconic moment. Although Michael was known for creating his own choreography ‘Moon Walk’ was not an original.
Michael Jackson added flair to the ‘back slide.’
If you thought that Michael Jackson was limited to making songs such as Billie jeans and performing the moonwalk, you were seriously mistaken. Around the same time when Michael performed the moonwalk, he added flair to the ‘back-slide’ after watching Derek “Cooley” Jaxon perform the ‘back-slide’ on television. Michael Jackson’s manager reached Jaxson to inquire as to whether he would like to teach the king of pop his move. Jaxon happily obliged and, without a single hitch, started mentoring.
Bob Dylan goes electric
Bob Dylan is remembered today as one of the greatest musicians in history. His ballads were able to heal, touch, and revive the hearts of the nationx . Bob was originally known as a folk artist. His music during the 60s was more focused on being politically charged and romantic. However, everything changed during the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. His fans were accustomed to his bard-like Dylan style. It was the same festival where he had performed the previous year, which gave him national attention. Therefore, it came off as a surprise when Bob stepped on stage with his electric Fender Stratocaster instead of his acoustic guitar.
Bob Dylan was booed
It is very surprising to think that there was a time when one of the greatest musicians in history was once booed on stage. It was not clear as to what led to that, but some say that it was due to poor sound quality. Whereas it was argued by some fans that it was due to the electric guitar. Bob Dylan’s approach towards ‘rock n roll’ after portraying himself as a folk singer two years prior did not settle well with the crowd.
Furthermore, Bob’s album ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ was released two weeks prior to his performance. His fans were not even aware that the songs he was playing were from his album. Therefore, the fans felt betrayed and booed him off the stage.
Johnny Cash walks the line
Johnny Cash was definitely one of the most recognizable musicians in America, if not the world. He was an icon for those who wanted to jump aboard for a journey to southern comforts, spirituality, and rich lyrics. Although Johnny was a spiritual singer, he did not start that away. He was not born with a guitar hanging by his shoulder and touring with Elvis. He was only born with a voice that would sound like it came from the depths of the earth. His love for music made him turn into a musician and come up with one of his greatest songs, ‘I walk the line.’
Johnny devoted the song to his wife while he was on tour with Elvis in the 50s to show his faithfulness. You could imagine Johnny being surround by a bunch of pretty girls and fame, but he chose to remain faithful to God and never paid any heed to romanticism.
Madonna made jaws drop and a senator’s wife blush
Back when Madonna was at her peak, everyone wanted her. Everyone wanted to emulate her because she had the looks, the voice, the confidence, and, most important of all, the style.
The thing is that Madonna was already the face of the 1980s. However, it was her lyrics in provocative songs like ‘Like a Virgin’ that shook the world. Her performance during the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards was enough to get Tipper Gore’s attention, and unless your mother was fine with it, she would get yours as well.
Kurt Cobain ascends into real Nirvana
Kurt Cobain’s death was bigger than his career, and why wouldn’t it be, he was the lead frontman of Nirvana who introduced something new back then, and it was grunge music. His targeted and tapped music into a new generation was quite outspoken for the difficult transition from teen to young adult. However, despite the success, he was in pain, which made him commit suicide in 1994. Many close friends of Cobain believed that it was his rising fame and popularity that had become a problem for him. As his popularity grew rapidly, his dependence on drugs increased as well. While the world was being dominated by pop and mainstream music, Cobain wanted to send a message out through his music that it is okay to express yourself while releasing and communicating complex emotions.
Jimmy Hendrix plays the ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’
Jimmy Hendrix played the ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at the Woodstock festival, which was the festival of all festivals. Over 400,000 people attended the festival as it included some of the greatest musicians of the Baby Boomer Generation. One of whom is none other than Jimmy Hendrix himself. It was highly unlikely that Jimmy’s music would be without a message. Therefore, it was of no surprise that when Jimmy stepped on to the stage, his music was double-layered with both message and sound. If you closely listen to his performance, you would notice that his guitar turns from a patriotic tune to the sound of falling and exploding bombs.
Freddy Mercury performs at Live Aid
Freddy Mercury was known as someone who loved his music and his fans, bandmates, and ten cats. Although Freddie Mercury is remembered as a beloved icon today, there were certain situations where his band experienced push and pull. The previous year, Mercury performed at the apartheid-era South Africa, which actually diminished the band’s reputation and, at the same time, threw light on Freddy’s sexuality. With all the negativity surrounding him and his band, it was already difficult to enter the American market, but that did not bother Freddy. He made his way around by performing in a manner not seen by anyone. It was something that allowed him to be lovable and approachable.
Final Word
The 90s era was full of iconic moments, and we tried to mention the most prominent ones. It is sad to think that the same era would not repeat itself, but at the very least, we should fell lucky that their legacies remain.
If you are looking for more, check out our list of the biggest musical moments of the 80s.